The head of roads at Aberdeenshire Council has apologised to local businessmen after recent works fell “far short” of expected standards.
Formartine’s Visitor Centre owner John Cooper last week criticised the local authority after the B9170 Oldmeldrum to Methlick road closed without warning.
It is the latest in a series of closures in the area, which Mr Cooper claimed had cost him more than £10,000 in the last 12 months alone.
Now, Philip McKay, head of roads, landscape services and waste, has written a letter of apology expressing his disappointment at how the project has been handled.
His letter states: “It has fallen far short of the standards that we at Aberdeenshire Council expect.
“I can only apologise to those affected and hope that my whole team raise their game when it comes to engaging with communities.”
Mr McKay goes on to say he has asked his roads team to write to both Lord Aberdeen and Mr Cooper to express apologies in how the communication was handled.
The route between Oldmeldrum House and the junction to Ladyleys equestrian centre was sealed off on Monday for re-surfacing works which are scheduled to last for two weeks.
Lord Aberdeen, whose Haddo House estate is next to Formartine’s, accused the local authority of grotesque inefficiency and added yesterday: “Both John Cooper and I did receive a letter of apology and I did respond to say that there was a slight sense of deja-vu – as they have sent exactly the same letter after they failed to communicate with us the last time this happened.
“Do we therefore take the view, that if there is to be another closure, we might – third time lucky – get a bit of warning about it.
“It’s all very well issuing apologies saying they are falling short all the time, but we should expect better.
“We are not the only businesses that suffer from this, there are endless road closures going on at the moment which we all have to put up with across the county. “